I am a sucker for almost anything made with earl grey tea. Like Captain Picard, I’ll have my Earl Grey, hot; or iced or lukewarm for that matter, with a little lemon, please. Earl Grey marshmallows? Yep. Macarons? Absolutely. Chocolate? I said yes already, to all the things. You want to make some macaroni with earl grey tea and throw some cheese in? I’ll try it. So, when I saw this recipe I immediately moved it into the “have to try” file. So, pinkies up, as we stand and make The Grey Fizz.

This recipe comes from Ted Kilgore of Taste by Niche in St. Louis. They have an amazing bar program, take a look at their menu to see how invested they are in crafting memorable drinks. This one grabbed my attention immediately for the earl grey component, but also because of the near instantaneous chorus of “Be Our Guest” that began in my head as soon as I saw the name. “Try the Grey Fizz, it’s delicious! Don’t believe me? Ask the Dishes!” Personally, I do not trust most plates and none of the saucers, so instead of taking their dubious word for it, I decided to just make it myself. Of course, it calls for an infusion, so before you can drink you must work and show patience. Grab some sweet vermouth, I used Gallo, and your favorite Earl Grey tea, I used Twining Loose, in this case. If you want to make a bottle then add 4 tablespoons to 750 ml and let steep 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I didn’t want to burn a whole bottle on one drink so I did six ounces of vermouth to 1 tablespoon of tea. 

Once your is vermouth ready, grab your tins and pop in 1 1/2 ounces of gin, I went with Corsair; 3/4 of an ounce of earl grey infused vermouth, 3/4 of an ounce of fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 an ounce of simple syrup and 3/4 of an ounce of egg white or aquafaba. Add ice and give it a good shake to Lyle Lovett’s “Good Intentions“ till you get to the “temporary weight gain due to excess water retention” part, then strain from one tin to the other and discard the ice before going into a dry shake that can last as long as you want. I really leaned into the shake on this one, figuring it was a fizz served in a collins glass, so you might as well go for the big head. When your arms get tired, go ahead and strain into a chilled collins glass and top with club soda, I went with straight Topo Chico. Garnish with a paper straw in the center of the glass, a testament to your shaking prowess and firmness of your head game.

This is really lovely. Watching the head separate from the drink and ride is satisfying as hell, kinda like watching a Guinness settle. Beyond that, it tastes heavenly. The earl grey flavor is not overpowering, but definitely there. Plenty of bubbles, a citrusy brightness pulling out a fresh herbal thing from the gin. Well, worth the time to make and drink, even the lying salad bowls agree.

I don’t guess you have to go so extra on the shake and pour the topo slowly so the fizz rises above the top of the glass, but why not go big? Honestly, what else have you got on the schedule that would keep you from having a little fun? I mean, if you are too busy, I totally support that, but as for me and mine, we are looking for ways to pass the time. For the record, dancing around the kitchen with Lyle cranked up, making an excellent drink while singing along, seems like the right thing to do and a tasty way to do it. Go forth and rejoice likewise. Stay safe, stay hydrated and stay sane, my friends.